Curiosity Has Its Advantages
by harpiegal
Summary: Hiei meets a human woman while in a park in the Human World and suddenly finds himself curious about her. This curiosity lets an emotion he never experienced build up inside his heart
1. Chapter 1

Curiosity Has Its Advantages Part 1

Whenever Koenma gives us a day off, we go off and do our own thing. Mine was getting away to the Human World and spending an afternoon in one of the many parks Yusuke's town had. I was relaxing in a tree when I saw something from the corner of my eye. A human girl of about 18 with black hair sat down under the tree and began sketching in a book. I moved to get a better view of what she was sketching, but ended up making the branch I was on creak. She looked up startled, then looked around.  
"Hello? Someone there?"  
I jumped down from the tree and the girl looked at me. She smiled and brushed hair out of her face.  
"Oh, you scared me."  
"Hn, I tend to do that."  
"Come here often?"  
"No."  
"I do. Whenever it's a nice day outside like it is today, I sometimes come here to the park and bring my sketchbook."  
She flipped through pages and showed me sketches of the playground equipment, the flowers and trees, and the occasional wildlife like birds and squirrels. She looked at her watch and stood up.  
"Oh, I must be going. Well, have a good day."  
Without another word, she walked toward the residential area of town. I got back to Koenma's mansion and sat on the windowseat like I usually did. Kurama walked in and smiled.  
"Back so soon, Hiei?"  
"Hn, not much to do. I'm used to training all the time, and not doing so bores me."  
"The Human World bores you?"  
"Not as much as it used to when I was on probation. Whenever I do go there, I go to the parks and hang out in a tree."  
"Well, we all have our activities, I suppose. Oh, I almost forgot. Koenma allowed for us to have the next few days off. He feels we have been working too hard and wants us to enjoy time to ourselves."  
"Hn, good to know."  
The next day, I found myself again in the same park as before. This time, the girl I encountered was already underneath the same tree, sketchbook in hand. I walked closer and she saw me, smiling as she did so.  
"Oh, hello again. I see the good weather brought you out, too."  
"Hn."  
"I hope I'm not being too forward, but can you do me a favor?"  
"What is it, dare I ask?"  
She giggled and opened her book to a new page.  
"I was wondering if I might be able to sketch you. I've never sketched a person before, and you looked like a good enough subject."  
"Why not? Don't have anything else to do."  
"Great! Just get into a pose that's comfortable for you and I'll get started."  
She turned to face me as I leaned against the tree, crossing my arms and looking the other way.  
"Oh, that's perfect! This will look great once I'm finished!"  
As she began sketching, I found myself growing curious about her. I wasn't sure if us meeting here was coincidence, but then I found myself not really caring. Her green eyes shone brightly as she sketched me, and I smirked at her enthusiasm. Usually that kind of thing in a human annoyed me, but not this one. She didn't have a single impure thought in her mind, and I found myself wanting to know what she was thinking. After an hour, she stood up and showed me the book. I was stunned to see she paid attention to every detail, even how my clothing looked when I was in that pose. I looked up at her and smirked.  
"Hn, impressive. You paid attention to every single detail."  
"Oh, thank goodness. I was afraid it wouldn't turn out well."  
"It must have if the subject thinks so."  
"Hm, good point. Oh, look at the time. I have to get home and fix myself supper."  
She turned to walk away, but I stopped her.  
"Hiei."  
"Excuse me?"  
"I'm telling you my name. It's Hiei."  
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Yuka. Nice to see you again. Bye."  
She closed the book and began walking to what I assumed was her home. I found my curiosity growing and decided to follow Yuka. Oddly enough, she lived next door to Kuwabara and Shizuru. She approached her front door and stopped to see Kuwabara coming toward his house.  
"Hello, Kazuma."  
"Oh! Hey, Yuka! What's up?"  
"Nothing much. Just got some more sketching done."  
"Cool. Hey, you busy later this evening? My friends are stopping by and I wanna introduce you to them."  
"Oh, no problem. I'm just about to make dinner. Why don't I make it and bring it over. Say, 5ish?"  
"No problem! See ya later, Yuka."  
"Bye, Kazuma."  
Later than evening, we all gathered in Kuwabara's living room waiting for Yuka to arrive. Yusuke smirked as he smelled Yuka's cooking next door.  
"Man. Whatever she's cooking smells good."  
"You don't know the half of it, Urameshi. You haven't lived until you tried her lasagna. It's awesome!"  
Kurama chuckled and shook his head.  
"I don't suppose that's what she's bringing over?"  
"Uh, I don't know. She cooks so much I never have a clue what she makes when she visits. She always makes something different."  
The doorbell rang and Kuwabara opened the door to see Yuka holding a pan full of lasagna. She smiled as Kuwabara let her in.  
"Hey, Kazuma. I hope you don't mind lasagna."  
"Are you kidding, Yuka?! Your lasagna is the best I ever had of your food! Oh, let me introduce you to my friends. The red head is Kurama, the guy in green with black hair is Yusuke, and the short guy with spiky hair is-"  
"Kazuma, I'm the same height as him. Hello again, Hiei."  
Everyone looked between me and Yuka, wanting an explanation.  
"She happened to be at the same park as me. We met up after I jumped out from a tree she was sitting against."  
"Just this afternoon, I sketched a picture of him against the tree in my book. Would you like to see?"  
Yusuke nodded and she opened her book to the picture she drew of me. Kuwabara's eyes widened as he looked at it.  
"Wow! She got Hiei down to a tee!"  
"Yes. I must say she has done rather well."  
Yuka nodded her thanks to Kurama and got to getting us some lasagna. Yusuke put a hand on Kuwabara's shoulder and smirked.  
"Damn Kuwabara, you're lucky. You got both a hot girl and a great cook living next door."  
"Eh, no biggie. She is pretty cool, though."  
I narrowed my eyes at Yusuke's comment, not understanding why his observation annoyed me. I rid myself of the thoughts and looked up as Yuka handed me a plate.  
"Hope you like it."  
"Hn."  
I took a careful bite and fought to keep my expression the same as I tasted how good it was. She did it all perfectly, and I ended up devouring it all. She smiled and took my plate.  
"You act as if you never had lasagna before."  
"I haven't. Your drawing must be as good as your cooking because it's just as perfect."  
She blushed and looked away, her smile still in place.  
"I never imagined your friend lived next door to me. It seems like such a coincidence. Us meeting twice at the park, then I find out you're one of Kazuma's friends."  
"It does seem odd, but I wouldn't it let it bother you. Once you've met us, you're stuck with us."  
She looked back at me and giggled. As the others ate their food, I spent the rest of the visit talking with Yuka. She talked about herself and I talked about my past without revealing exactly what I was. If she knew about my past and what I really was, I wouldn't be able to make my curiosity about her subside because she'd run from me, making me more than determined to know more about her. Before I knew it, we all had to leave.  
"Man, Yuka. That was good food. Maybe we should come by more often."  
"Thank you, Yusuke. I personally wouldn't mind seeing you all again."  
I hung back to speak with her privately. I leaned against the front door and looked at her.  
"What is it about you that intrigues me? Why do I suddenly become curious to know more about you?"  
"I can't really say. People say it's because I'm of a pure heart and am a kind person. They say my good nature is what draws them in."  
"Hn, that may be why."  
"Well if you ever want to know more about me, feel free to stop by anytime."  
"You barely know me."  
'True, but I know enough about you to say I completely trust you and your other friends."  
I smirked and nodded while opening the door, pausing to look at her.  
"In that case, you'll be getting a frequent visitor."  
"I'll be looking forward to it."  
As I rejoined the others at Koenma's mansion, I smirked again as a thought came to mind.  
'_So will I, Yuka. So will I._'  
_That's a wrap for this one-shot. Hiei finds himself intrigued by Yuka, a human girl he meets, oddly enough, at the same park. After meeting him and the rest of Team Urameshi at Kuwabara's house, she says Hiei can feel free to visit her anytime, something the fire demon doesn't seem to mind. Part 2 of the one-shot will again be in Hiei's POV several months after he first met Yuka, him thinking the time has come to reveal what he really is and what he and the others really do. Stay tuned to see what happens_


	2. Chapter 2

_Curiosity Has Its Advantages Part 2_

Over the weeks I'd known her, I could honestly say Yuka had grown on me. Whenever she sleeps, I stand on her bedroom's balcony and watch her, as if to protect her from any possible danger. Whenever she smiles and laughs, it seemed as thought I could feel the ice around my heart begin to break. With each passing second, I find myself growing more curious as to why and how she draws me in. I stood outside her house, trying to decide on how to tell her what I really am. I had recently been given permission by Koenma to tell her, which was the easy part, but the hardest part for me is figuring out what her reaction would be.  
'_Damn that girl. Being around her so much is making me soft. I better make this quick._'  
I knocked on her door and I saw Kuwabara open it.  
"Hn. What are you doing here, fool?"  
"Checking on Yuka's wounds. Some punks cornered her in town when she was coming back from the park this afternoon, but Yusuke and I showed up to help her out. He's at the police station filling out a report and I'm here fixing her up. Kinda helps since I live next door and all."  
"Is she conscious?"  
"Last I checked she was."  
"Kazuma, who's at the door?"  
"Don't worry about it, Yuka. It's just Hiei."  
"Oh, good. Let him in. I want to show him the sketch I made today."  
Kuwabara opened the door more and I stepped inside. My eyes widened slightly as I took in the sight before me. Yuka was laying on her living room couch, her arms wrapped in bandages. Luckily, that was the only injury she suffered. The phone rang and Kuwabara went to answer it. I approached the couch and she lifted her legs, giving me room to sit down.  
"I don't mind the company. Go ahead and sit down."  
I sat down and she rested her legs on my lap. I smirked and motioned to her arms.  
"Did those punks do that to you?"  
"No. After...disabling their chances to have children, I tried to make a getaway, but one of them tripped me and I scraped my arms."  
Inwardly, I cringed at the thought of receiving such a blow. She smiled and giggled at the look on my face. Apparently, my discomfort was evident.  
"No need to worry, Hiei. The scrapes aren't too bad, and the doctor said they'll heal in no time."  
"Hn. Who said I was worried?"  
"Your face did, silly."  
I looked away as I felt my face grow warm. I noticed her reaching for her sketchbook and grabbed it for her. She turned it to a new picture she made, and I had to admit I was impressed. She had drawn the view of the city from what I assumed was the top of a tree. She had everything drawn down to the last detail, much like the sketch she did of me.  
"Well, what do you think?"  
"Hn, impressive. It's just as good as the one you did of me."  
She sat up, and I noticed her grow tense as she did so.  
"If you're sore, you should refrain from moving, Yuka."  
"It's nothing serious."  
"You should be lucky they didn't pull any weapons on you! You could have been killed!"  
Before she could react, Kuwabara walked into the room.  
"That was Yusuke. He just got back from the police station and is waiting for me next door. Think you'll be okay here, Yuka?"  
"I'll be fine, Kazuma. Thank you for checking on me."  
"Eh, no worries. See ya later."  
As soon as he shut the door, I rounded on her again, my anger growing.  
"Like I said, Yuka, you could've been killed!"  
"But I came through, Hiei! I took care of myself just fine!"  
"Yes, I see. To receive two scraped arms is a definite sign of a job well done."  
She narrowed her eyes and looked at me closely.  
"Why are you acting like you care about what happens to me?!"  
"Maybe I do!"  
Her eyes widened as I said these words. I sighed, knowing there was no turning back.  
"Suppose it was a group of demons that attacked you. You would've died for sure."  
"Demons are only found in stories, Hiei. They don't exist."  
"Let me change your mind, then."  
I unwrapped the wrap from my forehead and my Jagan Eye opened.  
"I am a demon, Yuka. I had this third eye surgically placed on me."  
"You're...a demon?"  
"Yes. I am half-fire, half-ice. My mother was from a society where mating with males is forbidden. She had met my father, a fire demon and mated with him. Not only did she have me, but she had also asexually produced my sister, Yukina. Not long after I was shunned by bandits that took me in, I had this eye placed on me so I could find both Yukina and the Ice Domain I came from."  
She carefully reached out a hand to touch the Jagan, and I did nothing to stop her. When she touched it, I could feel its demonic power decrease slightly. Her touch felt calming to me, which may explain why the demonic power of the Jagan decreased. I removed her hand from my head, but continued to hold it. She smiled and moved so she sat beside me.  
"Is anyone else a demon?"  
"Kurama is a fox demon, Yusuke has a demon ancestor, and Kuwabara is all human."  
"Am I allowed to know about this?"  
"I was given permission from my boss, Koenma, to tell you on the promise you don't tell anyone else."  
"Who would I tell? I live by myself, remember?"  
I smirked and helped her to stand up. She stumbled and ended up falling slightly with her head on my chest. She looked up at me slowly and I smiled slightly as a faint blush appeared on her face.  
"Sorry, Hiei. My legs are kind of asleep."  
"Hn, no need to worry about it."  
She smiled back and rested her head on my chest again, wrapping her arms around my neck as she did so. Something inside of me told me to respond, and I did exactly that. I wrapped my arms around her waist and gently rested my head on top of hers.  
"Hiei, why did you come here today?"  
"I was trying to subdue my curiosity over you .I've been trying to figure out what it is about you that draws me in."  
"Any luck?"  
"Hn, none."  
"Maybe you're not having any luck figuring it out is because it isn't something to figure out at all. Maybe...we met for a reason."  
"I don't believe in fate, Yuka."  
"Then what do you call our meetings in the park?"  
I narrowed my eyes as I tried to figure out another reason as to how we met, but I couldn't find one. Maybe Yuka was right and fate did play a part in it. She looked at me and I looked back, small smiles appearing on both of our faces. She placed a hand on my face and I put a hand on top of it, keeping it in place.  
"Maybe you're right, Yuka. Maybe fate did make all this happen."  
"I'm sorry, what was that? Did you just admit I'm right? I think hell just froze over."  
I smirked and she giggled. I could never get annoyed with her habits, no matter how hard I tried. She wrapped her arms around my neck again and smiled softly at me.  
"Hiei, where do we go from here?"  
"I don't know. Maybe it's something we don't really need to try and figure out."  
"Ha, ha, ha. Very funny."  
Before I could react, she closed her eyes and placed her lips on mine in a gentle kiss. Now that I thought about it, it was her innocence that drew me in. Not many humans have the kind nature she had anymore. I closed my own eyes, returned her embrace, and kissed her back. In that moment, nothing else mattered but Yuka. Before the kiss could go further, my communication mirror began beeping. I broke apart from Yuka, but kept an arm around her waist. I opened the mirror to see Yusuke.  
"Hey, Hiei. You and Yuka feel like coming over? Kurama's here, too. We all plan on going out to eat."  
"Hn, depends on what Yuka thinks. She's been through enough for one day and may not want to go anywhere."  
Yuka smiled at Yusuke and nodded her head.  
"I wouldn't mind coming over, Yusuke. I'll just wear a jacket or something to cover my arms."  
"Cool. See you guys soon."  
After I closed the mirror and put it in my pocket, I drew Yuka closer to me and place a soft kiss on her forehead.  
"Can't keep them waiting. They'll think something is going on."  
"Let them. We only have to go next door. I think they could wait a few more minutes."  
I smirked and drew her into another kiss, making sure to have a tight hold on her.  
_That's a wrap for part 2. Part 3 will be in Hiei's POV as he and Yuka wake up after spending the night together at her house. Part 3 will also be the final chapter, so stay tuned to see what happens_


	3. Chapter 3

_Curiosity Has Its Advantages Part 3_

I slowly opened my eyes as light came in through the bedroom window. I don't think I can recall a time I ever slept that well. I felt movement in the bed beside me and smiled as I saw Yuka move around in her sleep to get back into a comfortable position. She and I had begun to live together and decided to consummate our relationship by becoming mates. I rarely admitted this out loud, but the Human World had kind of grown on me, so I suggested she and I live together at her house, which she didn't seem to mind. I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer to me, smirking as she let out a sigh of contentment. I lightly kissed the left side of her neck where her mating mark was located, and she began to wake up. She opened her eyes and turned her head to face me, the smile still on her face.  
"I take it you slept well, Hiei?"  
"Hn,w hat do you think?"  
She adjusted herself so her head rested on my chest, sighing softly.  
"I don't recall sleeping that well before, either. I have you to thank for that."  
I smirked and brushed hair out of her face. I sat up and went to pick up my clothes from the floor. Yuka got up with a sheet wrapped around her and went to the closet to get a towel from the linen closet.  
"Here. You can use my bathroom, if you want to."  
"Hn, good idea. Kurama has a sensitive nose and will detect that our scents have mixed together."  
"When do I ever have bad ideas?"  
I smirked and shook my head as I entered her master bathroom. I heard her voice from beyond the closed door.  
"I'll be using the shower down the hall. Just meet me downstairs with your towel and I'll put it in the laundry."  
"Fine."  
As I showered myself, I sighed as I thought of all that happened since Yuka and I got together. Of course some of the guys gave us a hard time, me in particular, but they seemed pleased that I found someone to care about romantically. They all liked Yuka and I couldn't blame them. She had a personality that drew people in and had a habit of making you feel comfortable around her. After finishing my shower, I dried off and put on my clothes. I went downstairs with the towel and saw Yuka starting the laundry in the laundry room. I dropped the towel into the washing machine and put my arms around her waist, resting my chin on her shoulder.  
"What is that I smell on you, Yuka?"  
"Oh, I used a lavendar-scented shampoo and body wash when I was in the shower. Do you like it?"  
"Hn, very much."  
She giggled and started the washing machine. She then turned around and put her arms around my neck, pulling me to her in a gentle embrace. I hugged her back and felt a smile form on my face.  
"Hiei, do you feel like going anywhere today once the laundry is finished?"  
"I'm quite content with staying inside all day with you."  
She giggled again and shook her head.  
"As much as I would enjoy that, it's too nice of a day to be inside all day."  
The doorbell rang and I went to answer it. Kuwabara was there with Yusuke.  
"Hey, Hiei. We were in the neighborhood and thought we'd invite you and Hiei to join us at Genkai's."  
"Hn, why not?"  
Yuka popped her head from within the laundry room and smiled at the desks.  
"Hi, Kazuma. Hi, Yusuke. I'll be with you in just a minute. I'm putting the laundry into the dryer."  
"Eh, no worries. Take your time."  
She went back to her task and Yusuke smirked at me.  
"So, how's living with Yuka treating you?"  
"It's tolerable. Just survived her going through her 'monthly cycle' a couple of weeks ago."  
Kuwabara sighed heavily and shook his head.  
"Man, I hear ya, Hiei. Ya never wanna get on the wrong side of a woman going through that. They snap at ya real bad. I know from experience when Shizuru goes through it."  
Yuka started the dryer and exited the laundry room.  
"What's this I hear about Genkai?"  
"Well, Kuwabara and I were wondering if you and Hiei felt like going with us to visit her."  
"Oh, that sounds perfect. Let's go."  
We got to Genkai's, and she greeted us all with a smirk.  
"About time you kids showed up. I was beginning to think you forgot about this old gal."  
"Trust me, Grandma. You're not one to easily forget about."  
"Watch it, Dimwit."  
Yuka giggled and bowed to Genkai.  
"It's good to see you again, Genkai. It's been a while."  
"Hm, it has. I don't think I saw you since you and Hiei got married."  
While we would've been mated by demon standards, Yuka and I decided to get married in the human sense before becoming mates. It was a small ceremony with all of our friends in attendance. Yuka looked perfect in her dress. Then again, she looked good no matter what she wore. I put an arm around Yuka and smirked at her.  
"What do you think about living with me, Yuka?"  
"It's tough at times, but I really enjoy it. What irks me sometimes is not seeing you for weeks at a time because you and the guys go off on missions. That's the toughest thing about it."  
"I told you I'd always come home to you, didn't I?"  
She smiled and blushed as she recalled me making the promise.  
"You did, and so far you've kept it. It shows you care about me and my feelings."  
"Hn, I'd be an idiot if I didn't."  
As we mingled with Genkai, Yusuke, and Kuwabara, I recalled that day so many months ago when I first met Yuka at the park. She intrigued me so much with her quiet and calm nature, and eventually my curiosity led me to ask Yuka to be with me. Now we're married in the human sense and mated in the demon sense. I guess it's safe to say curiosity has its advantages.  
_Hope you all liked the 3-part one-shot. Thanks to all those that read parts 1 and free to check out my other work, as well :D_


End file.
